50 Dead Horses, others found malnourished at Texas Rescue

Another sickening story of horse abuse as authorities in Texas on Tuesday 10 April 2018 discovered 50 dead horses on a self-described ‘sanctuary’ in Canton, Texas, and seized custody of 87 allegedly mistreated animals. “It was just a sea of dead horses,” Victoria Albrecht, a spokeswoman for the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. “It was just heartbreaking.”

The allegedly mistreated animals included 70 horses, nine donkeys, six pigs and one longhorn, authorities said. The dead horses were found scattered and decomposing along a creek on the property.

The malnourished horses resorted to eating trees clean of their bark, while the pigs were confined to a single pen without access to food, authorities said. Most of the animals were found roaming the fenced-in property with varying health problems, including overgrown and cracked hooves and open sores.

The agency said it first visited the property on March 3rd, 2018 after receiving a complaint of suspected animal cruelty. Officials then began to work with the owners, educating them on proper animal care and entering into an agreement with them to bring the animals’ conditions up to Texas' health and safety code. Officials didn’t know about the dead horses at that time, the statement said.

SPCA investigators checked on the animals two more times before receiving a second complaint on March 30—this time of more than 50 dead horses on that same property. Police and SPCA officials then worked together to gather evidence and take custody of the animals. A deceased horse was taken so its cause of death could be determined by a necropsy, the statement said. The living animals were examined by a medical staff and will receive care until a custody hearing on April 19.

Shamefully, the owners have not been charged. While I fully understand that some people take in animals with full intent of providing a good, fair life to that animal to a natural death, some people just get in over their heads - their abilities and resources, despite their best intent, are just not up to the task. But there is no excuse for not calling someone for help and continue searching for a solution. But people are people and some are capable of horrendous cruelty. All decent people need to report neglect and abuse; and, law enforcement needs to do their part. Violators should be charged and prosecuted.

Texas Penal Code, Section 42.09 Cruelty to Livestock Animals

(a) A person commits an offense if the person intentionally or knowingly:
(1) tortures a livestock animal;
(2) fails unreasonably to provide necessary food, water, or care for a livestock animal in the person's custody;
(3) abandons unreasonably a livestock animal in the person's custody;
(4) transports or confines a livestock animal in a cruel and unusual manner;
(5) administers poison to a livestock animal, other than cattle, horses, sheep, swine, or goats, belonging to another without legal authority or the owner's effective consent;
(6) causes one livestock animal to fight with another livestock animal or with an animal as defined by Section 42.092 (Cruelty to Non-Livestock Animals);
(7) uses a live livestock animal as a lure in dog race training or in dog coursing on a racetrack;
(8) trips a horse; or
(9) seriously overworks a livestock animal.
(b) In this section:
(1) “Abandon” includes abandoning a livestock animal in the person's custody without making reasonable arrangements for assumption of custody by another person.
(2) “Cruel manner” includes a manner that causes or permits unjustified or unwarranted pain or suffering.
(3) “Custody” includes responsibility for the health, safety, and welfare of a livestock animal subject to the person's care and control, regardless of ownership of the livestock animal.
(4) “Depredation” has the meaning assigned by Section 71.001, Parks and Wildlife Code.
(5) “Livestock animal” means:
(A) cattle, sheep, swine, goats, ratites, or poultry commonly raised for human consumption;
(B) a horse, pony, mule, donkey, or hinny;
(C) native or nonnative hoofstock raised under agriculture practices; or
(D) native or nonnative fowl commonly raised under agricultural practices.
(6) “Necessary food, water, or care” includes food, water, or care provided to the extent required to maintain the livestock animal in a state of good health.
(7) “Torture” includes any act that causes unjustifiable pain or suffering.
(8) “Trip” means to use an object to cause a horse to fall or lose its balance.
(c) An offense under Subsection (a)(2), (3), (4), or (9) is a Class A misdemeanor, except that the offense is a state jail felony if the person has previously been convicted two times under this section, two times under Section 42.092, or one time under this section and one time under Section 42.092. An offense under Subsection (a)(1), (5), (6), (7), or (8) is a state jail felony, except that the offense is a felony of the third degree if the person has previously been convicted two times under this section, two times under Section 42.092, or one time under this section and one time under Section 42.092.
(d) It is a defense to prosecution under Subsection (a)(8) that the actor tripped the horse for the purpose of identifying the ownership of the horse or giving veterinary care to the horse.
(e) It is a defense to prosecution for an offense under this section that the actor was engaged in bona fide experimentation for scientific research.
(f) It is an exception to the application of this section that the conduct engaged in by the actor is a generally accepted and otherwise lawful:
(1) form of conduct occurring solely for the purpose of or in support of:
(A) fishing, hunting, or trapping; or
(B) wildlife management, wildlife or depredation control, or shooting preserve practices as regulated by state and federal law; or
(2) animal husbandry or agriculture practice involving livestock animals.
(g) This section does not create a civil cause of action for damages or enforcement of this section.

Article from Fox News

Horse Abuse

I would reckon that 100% of the people reading this site get as sad and angry as I do when we hear about horse abuse. I did not put up with boarders using abusive training methods or otherwise neglecting basic care for their horses when I ran a large horse barn years ago. Nor today when I am out of the public stables business, do I sit still when notified of horse abuse cases, which most commonly are not providing adequate feed, water or hoof care.

I am angry not only at horse owners who insist of owning horses but do not provide adequate care, but get angry as well as county officials who fail to correct the situation. My wife is even worse. She gets so livid at abusive owners and 'do nothing' county officials, that I worry about her getting arrested when confronting either. I think it makes her perpetually sad as it does me. I have known a couple ladies in the animal rescue business, who eventually moved out of the area as they just could no longer reconcile the daily disappointments in what mankind does to animals. ......I think we'll all be judged some day, by our Maker, who will hold us to account for how we treated his creatures.  I figure they are just on loan to us.

There are many layers to the problem and potential solutions. From the Law Enforcement side, lack of resources is often the biggest restriction to having a robust animal abuse investigative arm. Everything from irate parents complaining about speeders, to DUI checkpoints, to anti-gang task forces all eat up LE resources, often leaving only a animal abuse investigator who often does not have citation, emergency confiscation or arrest authority. Then adding a lack of knowledge with the abuse investigators pertaining to horses and other livestock, and lack of stiff enough penalties to serve as a deterrent, all conspire to be obstacles to safeguard animals at risk.

Almost 2 years ago the property abutting part of my North property line began development of a horse facility. Two rail pipe fencing, a metal barn capable of holding large quantities of hay and equipment, and the beginning construction of a row of thirteen 10' x 10' cinder block stalls (which remain to this day half finished). Soon after, four horses in good body score condition were turned loose onto that property - a sorrel brood mare and her yearling colt, a bay mare, and a black and white paint gelding. Within a week we had a good idea on what type of horse owner this was, who was actually just allowed to use the property and did not have any ownership part of the property.

For the first several weeks, these horses were not fed.  Instead just eating the weeds on the property. Two 30 gallon barrels were on site for water, but the owner had to bring water in by tanker truck as he apparently could not pay the $75 quarterly water bill for county water. When the weeds ran out, they had to bring hay in. And a nice old man, who did not speak any English, was hired to care for the horses. He would routinely ask us for water as the absent owner failed to contract for it to be brought in. And we would often tell the old man that the horses were getting skinny and lack of feed would impact bad on the growing colt. Then we learned that the absent owner would often fail to send money or arrange delivery of feed as well. Eventually the old man quit as he was not getting paid nor could he stand to see the animals in such condition.

The property accumulated junk - rebar, broken cinder blocks, steel pipe, angle irons pieces, etc. We advised the owner about the threat to the horses and ended up treating one of the horse who sustained a bad cut on her hocks because the owner refused to call a Vet. My wife ended up dressing and cleaning that wound daily until it healed. We also worked one of their horses through a case of colic.

Aside from that, my wife and I ensured that these horses did not go for very long with water and some grass hay. We also called the County Animal Control several times to respond when the owner would be absent for several days at a time. The Animal Control Officer, despite our pointing out how low those horses scored on the Body Condition Scale, using the Henneke System Equine Body Condition Scoring System, developed by Don R. Henneke, PhD of Tarleton State, University of Texas, 1983. The Animal Control Officer would just tell us, "they look good to me. Call me when they get worse."

We had no problem making repeat calls to Animal Control which eventually led to the owner moving his horses to an open field, where he built a temporary fence around more cinder block stalls. A few people would call us about those horses, we would go down and check them out, and call animal control to investigate. Many times there was no water on the property in stock tanks or otherwise, and horses continue to lose weight.

The last time was a few days ago. There were only two horses on that property now. We think at least one of the died and the gelding was likely sold.  My wife was crying as she called me to described the condition of these horses. The Bay More, a really nice horse and the one who had the hock injury, is in the picture at right. This picture was taken after the horse drank two 17 quart buckets of water helping to expand her barrel and make her appear just a little better.  The sorrel colt is actually now a two year old, coming three this spring - and still looks like a yearling to me. He is the horse in the photo at the top of this article - what do you think? Anyway, my wife filled up two 17 quart buckets with water for the horses which they promptly drank dry, then she filled them up again and they drank them dry one more time. I called Animal Control and the Sheriffs Office at 10.00 am in the morning and they finally responded at 5.00 pm.

We spent an hour explaining to the deputies about our history of reporting on these animals, lack of a county solution, how to body score a horse, what would constitute fair care, necessary hoof care, the lack of water, lack of feed, and tell tale lack of manure which indicated the horses were eating their own manure - little of that they were producing.

We coordinated for a local rescue to take the horses, providing a confiscation order could be obtained that the deputies assured me was being worked. But we learned the next day that the owner, after being contacted by Law Enforcement, brought in hay and water and assured the deputies that the horses would be taken care of. We were informed that the abuse case was dropped.

Law Enforcement may have dropped it, but we aren't letting it go. We'll be checking on these horses weekly and calling Animal Control and the Sheriffs Office as needed. I think what efforts that man and society makes to correct animal abuse is a snapshot into our collective morale health as a people. Again, well be held accountable.

Safe Journey.